Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney

For people with no prior record, a criminal accusation can be devastating. Even if the accusation is false and all criminal charges are dropped, the arrest itself can lead to indirect consequences for the individual's education and career opportunities.

From the moment you are arrested, every action you take, including the things you do to the things you say, can have serious consequences. It is important to understand your rights after an arrest, including the right to an attorney. An experienced attorney can help navigate the complex criminal justice system and fight to get the best possible results in your case.

Pumphrey & Prince

The criminal defense attorneys at Pumphrey & Prince fight to protect clients charged with felony, misdemeanor and DUI criminal offenses. Our dedicated attorneys fight for clients at every stage of the case, including before any arrest is made, prior to formal charges being filed, during any emergency bond hearing, during pre-trial status and motion hearings and at a bench or jury trial.

Contact our offices at (850) 681-7777 to schedule an initial consultation, either in the office or on the phone. During the consultation, you can speak directly with our experienced Tallahassee criminal lawyers about the particular facts of your case. Obtaining representation as early as possible in the process helps ensure all avenues of attacking the criminal charges are available.

Pumphrey & Prince is located in Tallahassee, Florida. We serve clients charged with crimes in Leon County and the surrounding areas throughout Florida's Second Judicial Circuit including Bristol in Liberty County, Crawfordville in Wakulla County, Monticello in Jefferson County and Quincy in Gadsden County.

Aggressive and Experienced Attorneys Fighting for You

Attorney Don Pumphrey Jr., has devoted his career to representing individuals charged with criminal offenses. As a former prosecutor, Don Pumphrey understands how to attack the prosecution's case piece by piece. Throughout more than 10 years in private practice as a defense attorney, Don Pumphrey has represented members of the military, law enforcement, airline pilots, educators, school teachers and health care professionals.

Don Pumphrey believes the best way to fight criminal charges often begins with litigating pre-file motions including motions to exclude physical evidence or statements and motions to suppress evidence gained during an illegal stop or arrest. He also believes in filing motions to dismiss the criminal charges for insufficient evidence.

Partner Nathan Prince has handled more than 2,000 cases at trial court and the appellate levels. Prince also served as the senior state prosecutor in the major crimes division of the State Attorney’s Office where he handled a plethora of serious and heinous crimes, including murder, kidnapping and sexual offenses.

Nathan Prince also served as the public corruption specialist for Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit. There he handled an assortment of white collar crimes, including organized crime and racketeering, abuse of public office and large scale schemes to defraud.

Don Pumphrey and partner Nathan Prince have worked on both sides of the law. They understand the Florida criminal justice system, and they use their experience to fight aggressively for their clients. They have the skills and the experience to seek the best possible results in your case.

What to Do After An Arrest

If you have been suspected of committing a crime, do not speak to any local or federal law enforcement officers until after you obtain a Tallahassee criminal lawyer. You can invoke your right to remain silent by saying, "I will not make a statement until after I have spoken to an attorney." Then remain silent. Even if you are innocent of any criminal wrongdoing, your attorney is often in the best position to talk to the law enforcement officer about what occurred.

Many people make the mistake of trying to protest their innocence and explain the situation. While well intentioned, in the heat of the moment people can make mistakes and give conflicting details, which can be used against them in court. Even more problematic, the officer can intentionally misconstrue the statements.

Hiring an attorney before you make any statement can help ensure your constitutional rights are protected during questioning and minimize the opportunity for self-incrimination. You should take full advantage of your right to remain silent.

When we represent a client at the beginning of a criminal investigation, we work hard to convince the officer not to make an arrest. Even if law enforcement officers ultimately decide to make the arrest, your attorney often can negotiate the terms of your surrender and handle other details that will minimize the embarrassment, expense and inconvenience of an arrest.

Effective Pre-File Negotiations

The prosecutor with the State Attorney's Office in the Second Judicial Circuit usually takes 21 days to decide whether to file any formal charges after a person is arrested for a felony. Your criminal defense attorney in Tallahassee often can present certain favorable evidence or show the accusation is false or exaggerated. In many cases, the prosecutor may decide not to file any formal charges or notably reduce the charges filed.

By obtaining legal counsel as early as possible in the case, your criminal defense lawyer can begin gathering favorable evidence that might be lost with the passage of time. Preserving evidence before it is lost is important. Memories begin to fade after an arrest or an accusation, so getting information immediately after often leads to better results.

Knowledgeable Representation For Your Criminal Case

For clients charged with serious driving offenses such as DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding or leaving the scene of an accident, our attorneys take an aggressive approach to fight the criminal charge and protect your driving privileges.

We also represent clients on a wide range of criminal charges prosecuted in state court, including domestic violence, drug crimes (from simple misdemeanor possession of marijuana to felony drug trafficking), shoplifting or theft, aggravated assault with a firearm and violation of probation.

Many people contact Pumphrey & Prince after discovering the court issued a warrant or writ of capias for their arrest after a failure to appear in court or as a result of a direct file prosecution. Additionally, we are experienced in helping clients avoid the expensive and time-consuming extradition process when they are arrested in another state and await being transferred to Leon County or the surrounding counties in North Florida's Big Bend region.

Tallahassee DUI Attorneys

After an arrest for driving under the influence, your attorney must file a demand for a formal review hearing. If you are eligible, your attorney can help you obtain a 42-day driving permit so you can continue to drive to school and work while your attorney fights the case.

It is important to know that after a DUI arrest, drivers only have 10 days to request a formal review hearing to protect their driver's license. The driver's license suspension is entirely separate from the criminal charges. The administrative penalty still can be enforced, no matter the outcome of the charges. Acting fast is vital in protecting your right to get behind the wheel.

Our DUI attorneys in Tallahassee fight charges for refusing to submit to a chemical test of your breath, blood or urine. We also are experienced in fighting DUI cases involving a breath test reading over the legal limit of 0.08 and even results higher than a 0.15 that might otherwise require the dreaded ignition interlock device.

We represent clients facing their first, second, third or subsequent charge for DUI. We also take on DUI with property damage cases and more serious felony charges for DUI causing serious bodily injury. We work to get the best possible results for our clients.

Finding the Best Criminal Lawyer in Tallahassee

At Pumphrey & Prince, we understand every case is unique. Our attorneys have nearly 50 years of combined experience and have collectively represented thousands of people in a variety of criminal offenses. They make it a priority to give each client the utmost attention.

Certain criminal charges are common; however, our attorneys believe using the same approach for each case does a disservice to the client. Finding the smallest details and discrepancies can make all the difference in the world to our clients. This is why, no matter the charge you face, you can rest assured knowing your unique case is receiving the highest levels of attention by a qualified criminal lawyer in Leon County.

The initial consultation is free and confidential. Whether on the phone or in our Tallahassee office location, our experienced attorneys will provide you with the information you need to make a positive move for your future. Call (850) 681-7777 or send an online message to discuss the facts of your case with an experienced criminal defense attorney in Tallahassee.

The information provided on this site is for general information purposes only. The information you obtain at this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your own individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Use of this website or submission of an online form, does not create an attorney-client relationship.

The hiring of a criminal defense attorney in Leon County or surrounding areas is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements, informational videos, a blog, or an internet website. Before you decide which attorney to hire for your case, ask us to send you free additional written information about our qualifications and experience. Contact us today for more information.